The present disclosure relates to a technique to limit operation of an electrically-driven working machine using electric power of a battery pack.
There have been known battery packs that supply stored electric power to an electrically-driven working machine or the like, and electrically-driven working machines that operate by electric power supplied from a battery pack. Some of the battery packs and electrically-driven working machines have, for anti-theft purposes and the like, a function to limit operation of the electrically-driven working machine using the electric power of the battery pack.
In one example disclosed in Japanese Translation of PCT Internal Application Publication No. 2014-525842, respective passcodes are previously set for battery packs and electrically-driven working machines by means of an information setting apparatus. When a battery pack and an electrically-driven working machine are coupled, operation of the electrically-driven working machine using electric power of the battery pack is permitted if the passcode of the battery pack and the passcode of the electrically-driven working machine match, whereas operation of the electrically-driven working machine using the electric power of the battery pack is prohibited if their passcodes do not match.
In such an example, the passcode of a battery pack obtained in an illegal manner, such as theft, does not match any of the passcodes of most electrically-driven working machines, and thus it is impossible to normally use any of the electrically-driven working machines. This enables inhibition of theft of battery packs.
In an example other than using a passcode, a predetermined operation permission time is set for a battery pack or an electrically-driven working machine, to thereby limit operation of the electrically-driven working machine using electric power of the battery pack. In this case, operation of the electrically-driven working machine using the electric power of the battery pack is permitted until the operation permission time set for the battery pack has elapsed, whereas the operation is prohibited after the operation permission time has elapsed.